✔ Voters approved a visionary $930M transportation levy in 2015
– wanting safer streets, better roads, and more reliable transit options. In the last two years, we’ve made some significant progress in achieving those goals. The new protected bike lane on 2nd Ave and the Rainier Valley Greenway are starting to make walking and biking down those streets safer for all ages and abilities. As part of our Vision Zero plan to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030, we lowered the speed limits citywide in 2016. Paving projects on 3rd Ave and on Roosevelt Way have vastly improved the pavement conditions on two of our most heavily used corridors.
To improve the transit experience for riders, we’ve advanced planning and design on our future RapidRide corridors that will connect the city. We’ve also completed:
✔ 819 bridge spot repairs.
✔ Paved 50 miles of our busiest streets.
✔ Installed 6,441 new street signs.
✔ Re-painted 2,545 crosswalks
– all in the first two years.
We’ve done a lot.
Creating the Office of Move Seattle.
In Spring of 2017, we released our annual levy report, which showed less spending in the first year than anticipated when the levy was developed. At the same time, we recognized the possibility of federal funding uncertainty for some levy projects. Those events led to the creation of the Office of Move Seattle, a division within SDOT, in late summer of 2017 to manage the levy program and help inform senior management decisions.
2018 assessment & project delivery of the levy.
Under the direction of Mayor Jenny Durkan and to inform our 2018 annual report, the Office of Move Seattle began a comprehensive assessment of the implementation and project delivery of the levy in early 2018. Over the course of the assessment, we evaluated all of the original levy commitments including cost, funding assumptions, and schedule in each of the sub-programs as well as the program management structure. Here’s what we found: a majority of the levy sub-programs were determined to be on track.
For some components of eight sub-programs, we’ll further review and make potential adjustments. The eight sub-programs that may need potential adjustments are primarily due to potential federal funding uncertainty, rising regional construction costs, and insufficient cost estimates included in the original levy budget. In addition, there’ve been new transportation priorities including the passage of Sound Transit 3 and the Sidewalk Condition Assessment that will help inform projects.
What’s next? Gather feedback & develop solutions.
In the upcoming months, Mayor Durkan has asked SDOT to listen to and engage stakeholders, community members, and the Levy Oversight Committee to gather input and make recommendations to any potential changes in each of the sub-programs. For some categories, we’ll aim to implement new strategies to reduce cost. In others, we’ll be transparent with stakeholders and residents if a change is recommended.
The details of the assessment findings and proposed next steps for each of the eight levy sub-programs are included in the Move Seattle Work Plan Assessment Report. Working with the community, we’ll develop solutions and recommendations by the summer.
Move Seattle was passed by residents envisioning a better transportation future.
Safe | Affordable | Vibrant | Innovative | Interconnected remain our five core values, and Mayor Durkan is committed to ensuring that Move Seattle is fully accountable and transparent while delivering efficiently, and effectively your priorities for safety improvements, street and bridge maintenance, and investments in multi-modal transportation. We’ll need to make some choices over the next few months about how we move forward, but Mayor Durkan, her team, and everyone at SDOT are serious about listening and taking action with you.
You’ll see that in the Move Seattle Work Plan Assessment Report and you’ll see it in the months ahead as we Move Seattle – together.